Hunter
04/11/25
The Iowa City Community School District voted this week to move forward with a letter of intent for an expansion of their partnership with Junior Achievement Programming of Eastern Iowa.
The partnership would allow the District to integrate their curriculum with topics including career readiness, entrepreneurship, personal finances, assets, and community engagement.
Junior Achievement supplements student education on career readiness.
Superintendent Matt Degner says the program will reach all kids in the district. He also clarified that the letter of intent is an approval to move forward with the plan with board approval. As superintendtent, Degner has no voting stake in the project.
The agreement includes plans to renovate the Center of Innovation, with the District kicking in $2.1 million. Junior Achievement would contribute $1.5 million in asset and software intellectual property for the Dream Accelerator project.
The Daily Iowan reports if the plans come to fruition, the Center would only be the second in the nation, the other one being located at the Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain Free Enterprise Center in Greenwood Village, Colorado.
The board voted 5-2 to approve moving forward with the project Tuesday. Barring delays, the District hopes to have construction for the Dream Accelerator completed in the winter, and a grand opening in spring 2026.